EFL to allow five substitutes from this weekend

English Football League (EFL) clubs have voted to allow five substitutions per match. This starts this Friday with the clash between Coventry and Birmingham. In August, Premier League clubs voted against allowing teams to make five substitutions per game during the 2020/2021 season. The English top flight is the only major European league that chose not to continue the system this season. The system was used towards the end of the last term after the COVID-19 disrupted the 2019/2020 campaign. Speaking earlier in November, Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters, admitted he does not expect the reintroduction of five substitutes. Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp and Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola have both criticized the decision to reduce substitutes to three, as muscular injuries increase across the top flight. Klopp said earlier this month it is a “necessity” for clubs to have five substitutes per match in the Premier League, while Guardiola labelled the current three subs limit a “disaster”.